150+ Help Grant City Auto Celebrate 25th Anniversary

Over 150 people helped owner Dennis Adams and his family celebrate their 25th anniversary in business. They also celebrated the grand reopening of their business after it had been burned down in the Grant City Square Fire last fall. Dennis Adams ran the parts store out of his home temporarily until the new building was rebuilt despite adverse weather conditions over the fall and winter. The new building is located across the street from Worth County Lumber. The Grant City Chamber of Commerce presented Adams with a flower bouquet and KQ2 was there to cover the event.

There was free food for all who came. There were BBQ sandwiches, brownies, chips, and other snacks. The new building has a lot more room for customers to shop around and look for parts while there is an office in back. The business continues to be a family operation as Ann Adams was showing son Mitch how to operate the record keeping system. The business started in 1985 when Ronald Reagan was President, the Royals were on their way to winning a world series, and the Soviet Union was still around. Most of us had not heard of AIDS, Saddam Hussein, or global warming, and Rush Limbaugh was still a few years away from getting his own talk radio show.

Nielsen Building on Grant City Square Collapses

The Nielsen building on the west side of the Grant City Square collapsed Wednesday afternoon shortly before one. Edith Miller, who was in Jerry Drake's law office working, said that she heard a loud noise and then when she looked out, she saw a cloud of dust. High winds had knocked down the building and had blown bricks onto the square. There were no injuries. "It had been leaning to the north and it just went," said Miller.

The building had been condemned by the Grant City Building Commission, consisting of members of the Grant City Council, on March 16th. The building had not had taxes paid on it for the last 20 years and had been falling in due to neglect. The building had been spared in the Square Fire last fall that destroyed three local businesses.

Grant City Auto to Hold Open House at New Building

A fire burned through the Grant City town square last fall, destroying four buildings housing three small businesses. Less than six months later, Dennis and Ann Adams are rebuilding their business from the ground up.

“Losing not only your business, but your source of income is devastating,” said Dennis Adams.

The Adams own Grant City Auto Parts, Inc., which is an independent CARQUEST Auto Parts store selling auto, truck and farm equipment and related supplies to independent mechanic shops and walk-in retail customers. They were able to stay in business in their home with a limited amount of inventory and overnight delivery service thanks to CARQUEST Distribution Center and the help of family and friends. At the same time they were working to rebuild, they were cleaning up the old site. It was important to them to continue on in the same community in which they grew up and have raised their children in. Through all the devastation in the last few months, the Adams remain optimistic for their business’ future as well as Worth County.

“I have a very positive outlook for this community, Dennis Adams said, “if I didn't I wouldn't have built back and I think there are plenty of people in this community who feel the same way. Don't get me wrong, the fire was a tragic loss for everyone, but I think a lot of positive things will happen in the future.”

Adversity is one of the traits many small business owners must obtain. For entrepreneurs who are interested in working for themselves, the Adams have some words of wisdom to share.

“Have a long term plan for your business. There will always be ups and downs in the economy. Talking with other business owners about their experiences would be a good place to start and stay positive and work toward your goals.”

The business that they opened 25 years ago on April 1, 1986 is celebrating a new start on the same date. The public is invited to attend the celebration of their new location, 15 E. 3^rd Street, on Friday, April 1. A ribbon cutting will take place at 10:30 a.m. with lunch to follow at 11 a.m. Refreshments will be served all day with the chance to win door prizes.

If you are interested in starting or retaining your own business, Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation (NWMEF) is here to help. NWMEF is an economic development project trained by the Sirolli Institute which serves six counties including Andrew, Atchison, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway and Worth. Services are offered free and are strictly confidential. NWMEF is a not-for-profit organization. For more information, contact Annette Weeks, facilitator, at (816) 262-5158 or facilitator@nwmef.com. The Resource Board is comprised of more than 70 volunteer board members from each county as well as regional representation. A complete list of board members is enclosed.